Hosiery boarding clamp



Nov. 8, 1966 J- FAULKNER 3,283,970

HOSIERY BOARDING CLAMP Filed Jan. l2, 1965 .ya l MIZ# United States Patent O 3,283,970 HQSIERY BOARDING CLAMP James L. Faulkner, Burlington, N.C., assignor to Burlington Industries, Inc., Greensboro, N.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 424,959 y5 Claims. (Cl. 223-75) The present invention relates to an improvement in hosiery boarding clamps and, more particularly, to an improved hosiery boarding clamp for use with substantially flat hosiery boarding forms, the clamp engaging the portions of the welt of a stocking extending about opposite edges of the form to apply pressure to the welt against the edges of the form thereby retaining the stocking on the form during shaping of t-he same.

Normally, in the-manufacturing -of hosiery, such as ladies stockings, the stocking is knit in tubular form either on a circular knitting machine or a full fashion knitting machine. After the stocking has been knit, it is subjected to a shaping process which also removes wrinkles from the same, the process being commonly referred to in the trade as b-oarding. A boarding form which is flat and substantially rigid has a profile configuration in plan of a predetermined shape of a leg. The stocking, which is generally tubular prior to shaping, is fit over the boarding form and then is subjected to either wet moist heat or dry radiant heat so that wrinkles occurring in t-he previous steps of manufacture are removed and, if the stocking is made of thermoplastic yarns, the inherent shrinkage is removed so as to stabilize and shape t-he fabric of the stocking for a better fit. By such a process the stocking is given a presentable .shaped appearance whereby its appearance is made more desirable for purchasing by the ultimate customer.

In recent years, new types of yarns suitable for ladies hosiery have been developed, these being marketed, for example, under various trade names, such as Lycra, Vyrene, and Spandelle. Generally, these yarns are types of polyurethane yarns with a generic name of spandex. The aforementioned yarns are very suitable for a support or compressive type of hosiery while they also may be used in the regular stretch type of hosiery. The property of the aforementioned yarns is similar to that of rubber in that they have a large amount of recovery force. Because of the large recovery force of these yarns, stockings knitted therefrom have presented a problem to the manufacturer in maintaining their desired shape when sold across the counter. Stockings made of spandex yarn knit into a jersey stitch have a tendency when placed on a boarding form and pulled down to the normal length for nylons 0r regular type thermoplastic hose, to slideback up the form since the form is tapered t-o the shape of a leg in most areas. This is caused by the recovery force in the stitch which overcomes the friction of the stocking fabric to the boarding form. A stocking made in this manner and boarded for its final shape looks heavy and dense when it slips on the form and thus has an unsightly appearance when sold across the counter. Additionally, another major inherent drawback in this type of stocking resulting from boarding ditiiculties occurs when Worn by the ultimate customer as the stocking exerts a pull down 0r strain upon the supporter or undergarment of the wearer which tends to be too great, creating discomfort and an unsightly appearance due to folds in the ankle area.

Efforts have been heretofore made to overcome this diculty in boarding of stockings but such prior efforts have not proved entirely satisfactory as the clamping devices heretofore used distorted the shape of the welt thus resulting in a finished product having unsatisfactory customer appeal. One such prior effort included clamping the welt W to the opposite sides of the boarding form by a clamp which has a tendency to distort and pull the welt of the stocking out of shape. Another prior effort included modifying the boarding form so that it had a sliding member thereon with pins. or projections extending therefrom for engagement with the welt, the sliding member being urged longitudinally of the form by a spring. Such an arrangement was not particularly satisfactory as it caused the welt to be distorted as Well as possibly damaged by the pins. In either of the aforementioned efforts, the resulting welt was n-ot flat and of uniform dimensions when packaged for sale to the ultimate consumer.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved novel hosiery boarding clamp for use with a boarding form which uniformly holds the stocking upon the form during shaping and smoothing of wrinkles therefrom, the resultant shape of the stocking being such that the welts are ilat and of uniform dimensions.

Another object -of the present invention -is to provide an improved clamping arrangement for boarding forms which -does not distort or pull the welt out of shape where the stocking is being stabilized, the clamping pressure for clamping the welt to the boarding form being applied to the portions of the welt passing about the opposite edges -of the boarding form rather than the -sides of the boarding form.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved boarding clamp which may be applied to the welt of the stocking after the stocking has been placed on the boarding form without the clamp having to be slipped over the free end of a boarding form.

A further object of the present invention includes an.

improved clamping arrangement which may be applied to a stocking on a boarding form by the use of one hand of the operator, leaving the other hand of the operat-or free to make sure the welt of the stocking is perfectly smooth at the time the clamp is applied.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved clamping arrangement for use in boarding of stockings, the clamping arrangement being capable of use with boarding forms of different sizes.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved clamping arrangement for use with a boarding form which is easy and inexpensive to manufacture and simple to operate and yet leaves no visible evidence of distortion and unevenness in the welt after a stocking has been boarded.

y These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear more fully in the following speciication, claims, and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates the clamping arrangement of the present invention applied to the welt of a stocking on a boarding form.

FIGURE 2 -is an end elevation of the hosiery boarding clamp of the present invention taken substantially on the line 2 2 of FIGURE 1, the view being enlarged and disclosing the boarding form and stocking thereon in broken or phantom lines.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the improved hosiery boarding clamp of the present invention, a portion of the same being broken away, and the view also illustrating the extension of the clamp in broken or phantom lines.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like character and `reference numerals represent like and similar parts and in particular lto FIGURE 1, there is disclosed a hosiery bo-arding clamping means 10 of the pire-sent invention in operative position for holding `a stocking S 0n -a boarding form 12. The boarding form 12 is of the usual type in that it has a plan prole conguration of a predetermined shape of a leg, the form 12 being substantially at and rigid. Usually a plurality of such hosiery boarding forms 12 are mounted in side by side spaced relationship on a boarding machine (not shown), the boarding form 12 beingvsupported on the machine at its lower end 14. The boarding form 12 may be made of a metal, such as aluminum or the like, the form being perfectly smooth on its sides 16 and its edges 18 so that when the tubular form of a stocking S is slipped over the same there Will be no vsnagging of the stocking. Plastics or other suitable materials may be used for the boarding form 12.

v In the past, where conventional yarns, such as nylon, `rayon or lthe like, were used in the manufacture of the stocking S, it was not absolutely necessary to clamp the Welt W ofthe stocking as the friction of the fabric of the stocking to .the boarding form' 12 was sucient `to hold Ithe stocking in the desired p-osition during the stabilization of the stocking by wet moist heat -or dry radiant heat. However, as pointed out earlier in the specication, the advent of-use of spandex yarns in knitting of stockings resulted inthe tubular form of the stocking prior to shaping having a large recovery force after stretching of the stocking upon the form 12 to a desired length. Because of the recovery force, the welt W of the stocking has a tendency to slip lupwardly on the boarding form 12 toward the foot portion and, thus, the resulting stocking after boardin-g looked heavy and dense and had a very unsightly appearance for customer appeal. While the clamp-ing means or device is primarily intended for u-se with stockings knitted from yarns having .a large recovery force therein, the clamping means 10 als-o has use for stockings knitted from conventional yarns in the conventional manner as the length t-o which the stocking is stretched onto the boarding form 12, may be accurately controlled by use of the clamping means 10.

In order to completely avoid any distortion or pulling of the welt out of shape While the stocking is being boarded, the clamping means 10 of the present invention is arranged to apply pressure only lto opposed portions of Athe Welt extending about lthe front and rear edges 18 of the boarding form 12. The pressure necessary to hold the stocking S at the proper length need only be sucient on the boarding form 12 to overcome any vertical forces of -the knitted fabric to contract .the length of the stocking on the form during the boarding operation. It will be noted that the clamping means 10 completely avoids applying any direct pressure to -the portions of the Welt which lie contiguous with the sides 16 of the boarding form 12.

Referring now specifically to FIGURES 2 to 4, inclusive, the clamping means 10 is best disclosed. The clamping means 10 includes a pair of clamping elements 20 and 22 which are substantially mirror images of one another. In` more detail, each of Athe elements and 22 includes a curved hook-shaped por-tion 24 defining elongated grooves or recesses 26. An intermediate portion 28 on each clamping element 20 4and 22 is connected to the curved hook-shaped portion 24, the intermediate portion providing at planar surface 30. A flange 32 extends outwardly from the intermediate portion 28 in a direction opposite to the direction which the curved portion 24 extends from the Iintermediate port-ion 28. As will be noted in FIG- URE 2, the clamping elements 20 and 22 have .a -gure 2 shape from an end view or Vin transverse section of the,

with, of course, the welt Wof the stocking S interposed therebetween.

The flange 32 -of clamping element 22 has xedly secured thereto by Welding, soldering or the like an elongated Itubular guide element 34, the guide element 34 having a passageway 36 therethrough. Tubular guide element 34 extends toward the flange 32 yof clamping element 20 but is not connected to the same'. The flange 32 of the clamping element 22 is further provided with a hole or aperture 38 therein which is axially aligned with the axis of the tubular guide element 34.

' An elongated rod 40` xedly secured to the flange 32 of clamping element 20 by Welding, soldering or the like as indicated at 42, extends'from that ange through the passageway 35 of the tubular guide element 34 and through the hole 38 in the flange 32 of clamping element 22.` The outer or free end of the elongated rod 40, which extends out of the hole 38, is provided with -a ilat thumb button 44, .the purpose lof which will be described in more detail later in the specication.

As best shown in FIGURE 4, each of the flanges 32 of the respective clamping elements 20 and 22 is provided with a pair of punched out hook receiving eye elements 46, the hook receiving eye elements 46 of one ange 32 facing .the hook receiving eye elements 46 of 'the other flange 32. The hook receiving eye elements 46 of the flanges 32 are arranged t-o lreceive the hook ends of a pair of coil springs 48 which normally urge the clamping elements 20 and 22 toward one another.

The length of thetubular guide element 34 determines the extent which the clamping elements 20 and 22 are drawn toward one another. Preferably, the length of the tubular guide element 34 is such that the clamping elements are spaced apart a distance slightly less than the width of the boarding form 12 at its welt area. Springs 48 are arranged on opposite sides of the concentric tubular guide element 34 and the rod element 40. By this ar rangement, equal pressure is applied to the clamping elements 20 and 22 when they are holding the hose on the boarding form 12, or when they are simultaneously spread apart by relative movement of the rod element 40 with respect to the tubular element 34. Of course, the spring arrangement may be such that it may be concentric with the tubular guide element 34 either externally or internally of the same so long as it is normally urging or pullling the clamping elements 20 and 22 toward one anot er.

The operation of the clamping means 10 may -be described briefly as follows: the stocking S is fitted down onto the hosiery boarding form 12 until it is stretched to its proper length. I'his may be .determined by suitable indicia marked on the sides 16 of the boarding form 12. Then the clamping means is applied to the welt W of the stocking S by taking the clamping means in one hand with two fingers inserted on the back side of the flange 32 of clamping element 22 and the thumb placed on the thumb button 44 of the elongated rod 40. The thumb button 44 is depressed by the thumb to thereby cause the rod 40 to move relative the guide element 34 and clamping element 22, this causing the clamping element 20 to move away from the clamping element 22. With the clamping elements 20 and 22 in the extended position as shown by the broken lines indicated at S0 in FIGURE 2, the edge receiving recess 26 of the clamping element 22 is gently eased forward into engagement with the portion of the welt W extending around the front edge 18 of the hosiery boarding form 12. The other hand of the oper ator being free at this time can be used to smooth and level out the Welt W of the stocking S about the sides 15 of the boarding form 12 and then the clamping element 20 is eased forward until its edge receiving recess 26 encircles the rear edge 18 of the boarding form 12. The thumb button 44 is then released and the springs 48 pull or urge the clamping elements 20 and 22 toward one another to firmly apply pressure to the portions of the welt about the front and rear edges 18 of the boarding form 12 in a direction toward each other in a plane of the boarding form 12. The force of the springs 48 is such that the clamping elements 20 and 22 apply a horizontal pressure to the edges of the lboarding form 12 sufiicient to overcome any vertical or other forces of the knitted fabric incurred during the boarding operation when viewed in FIGURE 1.

Once the clamping operation has been completed, the stocking S is then subjected to the boarding operation. After the stocking has 'been shaped and/or stabilized by heat and the boarding operation completed, the clamping means can then be removed in 4a reverse manner to that described above the stocking taken off of the boarding form.

While the clamping means and boarding form of the present invention heretofore described and illustrated in the drawings fully and effectively accomplishes the objects and advantages of the present invention, it will be realized that the `foregoing specific embodiments have been shown and described only for the purposes of illustrating the principles of this invention and are subject to some changes and modifications without departing from such principles or the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the terminology used throughout the specification is for the purpose of description, and not limitation, the spirit and scope of the invention -being defined in the 4appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination: a flat hosiery boarding form having a plan profile configuration of a predetermined shape of a leg, said flat hosiery boarding form -being substantially rigid and adapted to receive thereon for shaping a stocking having a welt; and movable clamping means adapted to apply a clamping pressure to opposite elongated portions of the welt against opposite elongated portions of the edges of said at Iboarding form in a direction substantially parallel of a plane through the at boarding form, said clamping means including a pair of clamping elements having opposite elongated edge receiving recesses therein, means interconnecting said clamping elements to each other in a plane spaced outwardly of the recesses in said elements, said last-mentioned means normally urging said clamping elements toward each other, and means positioned on the same side of said clamping elements as said last-mentioned means for limiting the movement of said clamping elements to- Ward each other and for simultaneously moving said clamping elements away from each other when applying or removing said clamping means from said -iiat hosiery boarding form. y,

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which said means urging said clamping elements toward each other includes at least one coil spring operatively connected at its ends to said clamping elements respectively.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which said means for limiting the movement of said clamping elements toward each other and operable to simultaneously move said clamping elements away from each other includes a tubular guide element connected to one of said clamping elements and extending toward the other of said clamping elements, a rod element connected to the other of said clamping elements and extending through and out of said tubular guide element at its end connected to the one of said clamping elements, said rod element being movable relative to said tubular guide element.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 3 in which said means urging said clamping elements toward each other includes at least a pair of springs, one of said springs being attached at its ends to the respective clamping elements on one side of said tubular guide element and the other of said springs being attached at its ends to the respective clampingelements on the other side of said tubular guide element.

5. The combination as claimed in claim 4 in which each of said clamping elements includes a planar surface with respect to and lying in a plane parallel to the plane through said boarding form when said clamping elements are applied thereto, said planar surfaces of said clamping elements lying closely adjacent to portions of the welt of the stocking and one side of the boarding form.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,273,093 7/ 1918 Rieck 223-76 1,586,329 5 1926 Randall 223-76 2,497,760 2/ 1950 Chambers 24-263 2,889,720 6/ 1959 Tozier 24-263 X JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION: A FLAT HOSIERY BOARDING FORM HAVING A PLAN PROFILE CONFIGURATION OF A PREDETERMINED SHAPE OF A LEG, SAID FLAT HOSIERY BOARDING FORM BEING SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THEREON FOR SHAPING A STOCKING HAVING A WELT; AND MOVABLE CLAMPING MEANS ADAPTED TO APPLY A CLAMPING PRESSURE TO OPPOSITE ELONGATED PORTIONS OF THE WELT AGAINST OPPOSITE ELONGATE PORTIONS OF THE EDGES OF SAID FLAT BOARDING FORM IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL OF A PLANE THROUGH THE FLAT BOARDING FORM, SAID CLAMPING MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF CLAMPING ELEMENTS HAVING OPPOSITE ELONGATED EDGE RECEIVING RECESSES THEREIN, MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID CLAMPING ELEMENTS TO EACH OTHER IN A PLANE SPACED OUT- 